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State of the State: 2025 vs 2026
Governor Kathy Hochul -- comparing priorities year over year
From Kitchen-Table Economics to Federal Resistance: Hochul's Shifting Priorities
Governor Hochul's 2025 State of the State was a sprawling, domestically focused address centered on putting money back in families' pockets through a detailed suite of tax cuts, rebates, and social spending. She proposed a $1 billion middle-class income tax cut for 8.3 million taxpayers, a first-ever inflation refund of $300–$500 per household, a tripling of the Child Tax Credit to $1,000 for children under four, free school breakfast and lunch, and a $110 million investment to build new child care centers on a path toward universal child care. The speech was methodical and quantitative, culminating in a calculated $5,000 in combined savings per family. Public safety proposals were equally specific: officers on every subway train overnight, barriers in 100 additional stations, expanded involuntary commitment laws, and closing discovery law loopholes.
By 2026, the address underwent a dramatic tonal and substantive transformation, pivoting to frame New York as a bulwark against the Trump administration. Where the 2025 speech never mentioned the federal government as an adversary, the 2026 address directly attacked Trump's tariffs, immigration raids, threats to congestion pricing, health care cuts, and vaccine policy. Hochul proposed allowing New Yorkers to hold ICE agents accountable in court, barring state resources from assisting in civil immigration raids without judicial warrants, and protecting health care for 1.3 million New Yorkers against potential federal cuts. She declared that immunization standards should be set by medical experts, not conspiracy theorists — a clear rebuke of the new federal posture.
The economic agenda shifted from direct-to-consumer relief toward structural and industrial policy. The 2025 speech's inflation refund checks and free school meals disappeared from the 2026 address. Instead, Hochul emphasized a massive expansion of nuclear energy from one to five gigawatts, a concrete Universal Child Care roadmap (including Universal Pre-K for all 4-year-olds by 2028 and a $15/week cap through expanded vouchers), $250 million for affordable housing plus $100 million for manufactured housing, and a first-in-the-nation law requiring 3D printers to include software blocking gun fabrication. She also introduced entirely new priorities like auto insurance reform, AI deepfake disclosure requirements, environmental review modernization (SEQRA reform), and a ban on protests within 25 feet of houses of worship.
Notably, several signature 2025 proposals vanished. The inflation refund, free school meals, the "Unplug and Play" initiative, the $1 billion clean energy investment, and the specific subway overnight policing plan were not revisited. The 2025 speech's emphasis on climate change and offshore wind was replaced in 2026 by a focus on nuclear power and a brief mention of Trump's stop-work order on offshore wind. The overall framing evolved from a governor focused on proving she could deliver tangible household savings to one positioning herself as a defender of rights and democratic values against federal overreach, repeatedly invoking New York's revolutionary heritage and asking whether future generations would judge them favorably.
New Priorities in 2026
- +Direct confrontation with the Trump administration on tariffs, immigration enforcement, and federal funding threats — including a proposal to allow New Yorkers to sue ICE agents in court and bar state resources from assisting civil immigration raids without judicial warrants
- +Auto insurance reform to combat fraud and reduce New York's nation-highest average premiums of $4,000/year, including barring payouts to those driving drunk, without a license, or committing felonies
- +Massive expansion of nuclear energy ambitions from 1 gigawatt to 5 gigawatts, paired with a nuclear workforce development program
- +First-in-the-nation law requiring all 3D printers sold in New York to include software blocking the fabrication of firearms (targeting the 'plastic pipeline' of ghost guns)
- +A ban on convertible handguns that can fire 1,200 rounds per minute as automatic weapons
- +AI deepfake disclosure requirements for election-related content and prohibition of deepfakes impersonating candidates
- +Ban on protests within 25 feet of the property line of houses of worship, framed as combating antisemitism and Islamophobia
- +Environmental review (SEQRA) modernization to streamline permitting for housing, clean energy, and infrastructure projects that haven't been updated in 50 years
- +Universal Pre-K for every 4-year-old by 2028 and piloting community-wide child care for newborns to 3-year-olds
- +State funding for New York City's Universal 2-Care and Universal 3-K programs announced with Mayor Mamdani
- +$250 million additional investment in affordable housing plus $100 million for manufactured housing
- +Protection of health care coverage for 1.3 million New Yorkers against potential federal cuts and defense of vaccine access with a declaration that immunization standards be set by medical experts
- +Expansion of free community college to new fields including logistics, air traffic control, and emergency management
- +Requirement that data centers pay their fair share for power and ultimately generate their own energy independently
- +Back-to-basics math education initiative following the earlier reading instruction reforms
- +Regulation of government efficiency through elimination of outdated regulations and leveraging technology, plus direct outreach to small businesses about bureaucratic barriers
Dropped from 2025
- −The nation's first-ever inflation refund of $300 for individuals and $500 for families, returning billions in surplus sales tax revenue to 8.6 million New Yorkers
- −Free breakfast and free lunch for every child in New York schools, touted as saving $1,600 per child annually
- −The 'Unplug and Play' initiative to build new playgrounds and create hundreds of thousands of opportunities for kids in sports, music, drama, and volunteer organizations
- −Expanded involuntary commitment laws for people who lack the mental capacity to care for themselves, and strengthening of Kendra's Law for long-term treatment
- −Specific proposal to put a police officer on every subway train overnight from 9 PM to 5 AM over six months
- −Closing loopholes in discovery laws that delay trials and lead to cases being dismissed on technicalities
- −Specific $1 billion investment to further the transition to a zero-emission economy
- −Ban on private equity companies bidding on single and two-family homes for the first 75 days on market
- −Ban on rent price-fixing software costing tenants $3.8 billion nationally
- −Subway triage centers at the end of major routes providing 24/7 assistance
- −Bright LED lighting installation in every subway station by end of year
- −Specific housing development ombudsman proposal to streamline approvals
- −$100 million for starter homes and down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers
- −Detailed domestic violence crackdown including keeping guns out of abusers' hands
- −Empire AI supercomputer initiative and the projection of $320 billion in AI-driven economic growth by 2038
Shifted Emphasis
- ↔Child care evolved from a $110 million investment to build centers and a general 'pathway to universal child care' in 2025 to a detailed Universal Child Care roadmap in 2026 with specific milestones: Universal Pre-K by 2028, community-wide pilots for ages 0-3, a $15/week cap through expanded vouchers, and state funding for NYC's programs — framed as over $8 billion invested since 2022
- ↔The Child Tax Credit was a centerpiece proposal in 2025 (tripling to $1,000 for under-4, boosting to $500 for school-age), but in 2026 it was mentioned only in passing as an accomplished fact — one line in a list of achievements rather than a new initiative
- ↔The middle-class tax cut was the lead proposal in 2025 ($1 billion savings, lowest rates in 70 years for 8.3 million taxpayers) but in 2026 was referenced only as a completed achievement rather than a new fight
- ↔Housing policy shifted from specific demand-side tools in 2025 (private equity ban, price-fixing software ban, $100M for starter homes, ombudsman) to supply-side and regulatory reform in 2026 ($250M for affordable housing, $100M for manufactured housing, SEQRA modernization, updated tax incentives for rent-regulated buildings, and stronger penalties for bad landlords)
- ↔Climate and energy strategy pivoted dramatically from offshore wind, hydroelectric power, and a $1 billion clean energy investment in 2025 to an aggressive nuclear power expansion (1 GW to 5 GW) in 2026, with offshore wind mentioned only as something Trump was blocking
- ↔Subway safety shifted from an aggressive 2025 plan (officers on every overnight train, barriers in 100 stations, LED lighting, triage centers, fare evasion gates) to a more maintenance-oriented 2026 approach (continued patrols, 85 additional station barriers, expanded mental health units) without the same level of specificity or urgency
- ↔Online child safety expanded from the 2025 focus on addictive algorithms and the new 'Unplug and Play' alternative to a 2026 emphasis on blocking predator DMs, disabling AI chatbots, blocking location sharing, cutting off online sports gambling for minors, and celebrating the phone-free school day ('bell-to-bell ban')
- ↔Semiconductor and manufacturing policy evolved from touting Micron's $100 billion investment and building power-ready sites in 2025 to a broader 'rebirth of manufacturing' narrative in 2026 with over half a billion dollars for workforce development, expanded free community college fields, and emphasis on multiple companies (Micron, GlobalFoundries, Fairlife, Chobani)
- ↔The overall rhetorical framing shifted from an inward-looking, family-centered affordability message ('your family is my fight' with specific dollar calculations) to an outward-facing resistance posture against Washington, with New York's 250th anniversary revolutionary heritage used to cast the state as defending democracy against federal overreach
Policy Topics Addressed
Affordability
Governor Hochul addressed affordability across multiple fronts: proposing universal childcare ("ultimately deliver Universal Child care for every single family in New York"), cutting auto insurance rates by cracking down on fraud, streamlining utility assistance, and requiring data centers to "pay their fair share." She highlighted the lowest middle-class tax rates in 70 years, a child tax credit up to $1,000, and paying off billions in unemployment insurance debt while increasing benefits 70%. She proposed $250 million more for affordable housing and $100 million for manufactured housing.
Economy & Jobs
Governor Hochul reported over 8.5 million private sector jobs, nearly a million more than when she took office. She highlighted Micron, GlobalFoundries, and Eli Lilly's $3.5 billion Lehigh Valley investment as major wins. She proposed expanding nuclear energy goals to 5 gigawatts, launched free community college for adult learners with 11,000 enrolled, and emphasized that New York's economy is the only one in the Northeast actually growing according to Moody's.
Education
Governor Hochul announced a roadmap to universal childcare including Universal Pre-K for every 4-year-old by 2028, a pilot for year-round full-day care for newborns to 3-year-olds, and expanded subsidies. She proposed over half a billion dollars for workforce skill development, free community college expansion for adult learners in new fields, and celebrated the cell phone bell-to-bell ban. She also called for taking the 'same approach with math' after insisting on back-to-basics reading instruction.
Environment & Energy
Governor Hochul proposed raising the state's nuclear energy target from one to five gigawatts — more than built anywhere in the US in 30 years — and announced a nuclear workforce development program. She demanded data centers pay their fair share and generate their own power independently. She also highlighted progress on clean hydropower from Quebec powering over a million NYC homes and criticized Trump's stop-work order on offshore wind.
Government Reform
Governor Hochul called for modernizing environmental review processes that 'haven't been updated in literally half a century,' proposing that when communities say yes to housing, infrastructure, or clean energy, the state should let them build without getting 'stuck in regulatory hell.' She also proposed eliminating outdated regulations and leveraging cutting-edge technology to make government work better.
Healthcare
Governor Hochul announced plans to protect healthcare for 1.3 million New Yorkers from federal cuts, including vaccine access. She proposed a first-in-the-nation law requiring 3D printers to include software blocking gun manufacturing. She also expanded mental health units on subways and announced new protections including the nation's strongest gun laws and social media safety measures for children.
Housing
Governor Hochul called housing a major priority, highlighting the most significant housing deal in half a century that saved 71,000 homes at risk and opened the door for 800,000 more over the next decade. She announced an additional $250 million for affordable housing, $100 million for manufactured housing, and proposals to update tax incentives for rent-regulated buildings. She also proposed updating environmental review processes unchanged for 50 years, stating "When communities say yes to housing, infrastructure, or clean energy, we're going to LET THEM BUILD!"
Immigration
Governor Hochul announced significant immigration-related policy proposals, including prohibiting state resources from assisting federal immigration raids on non-criminal targets, requiring ICE agents to have judicial warrants to enter schools, daycares, hospitals, and houses of worship, and proposing legislation to allow New Yorkers to hold ICE agents accountable in court when they act outside their duties. She cited the arrest of a NYC analyst with legal work authorization as an example of overreach.
Infrastructure
Governor Hochul highlighted clean hydropower from Quebec powering over a million NYC homes, expanding the Second Avenue Subway, the Interborough Express connecting Queens and Brooklyn, and renovations at Penn Station. She proposed five gigawatts of nuclear power — more than built anywhere in the U.S. in 30 years — and invested $250 million for affordable housing plus $100 million for manufactured housing, alongside requiring data centers to pay their fair share for power.
Public Safety
Governor Hochul reported crime hitting record lows — shootings, homicides, and subway crime all down. She proposed a first-in-the-nation law requiring all 3D printers sold in New York to include software blocking gun printing, banning handguns convertible to automatic weapons, expanding Crime Analysis Centers statewide, installing platform barriers at 85 additional subway stations, and banning protests within 25 feet of houses of worship. She also proposed allowing New Yorkers to hold ICE agents accountable in court when they act outside their duties.
Social Services
Governor Hochul outlined a comprehensive path to Universal Child Care, including Universal Pre-K for all 4-year-olds by 2028, piloting community-wide care for newborns to 3-year-olds, and expanding the Child Care Assistance Program to offer care at no more than $15 per week. She fully funded New York City's Universal 2-Care program and committed to protecting healthcare for 1.3 million New Yorkers from federal cuts. She also proposed $250 million for affordable housing and $100 million for manufactured housing.
Tax & Budget
Governor Hochul highlighted the lowest middle-class tax rates in 70 years, a child tax credit up to $1,000, and paying off billions in unemployment insurance debt while increasing benefits by 70%. She proposed cracking down on auto insurance fraud to lower rates, noting New Yorkers pay the highest auto insurance in the nation averaging $4,000/year. She emphasized the state's strong fiscal position with two bond rating upgrades saving $200 million and collecting $417 million more in revenue than projected.
Technology
Governor Hochul made several major technology proposals: raising New York's nuclear energy target from one to five gigawatts (more than built anywhere in the U.S. in 30 years), requiring data centers to pay their fair share for power and ultimately generate their own, proposing first-in-the-nation legislation requiring all 3D printers sold in New York to include software blocking gun manufacturing, and calling for AI-generated deepfake disclosure requirements and bans on election deepfakes. She also proposed blocking direct messages from child predators on social media and disabling AI chatbots that cause mental health problems.
Veterans & Military
Governor Hochul emphasized protecting veterans from federal cuts, noting that Washington's chaos threatens services veterans rely on. She proposed a $100 million Federal Response Fund to mitigate federal actions that threaten services, including those for veterans.